Down to the Studs

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass (preferably one from a vintage/thrift store). Garnish with apple slices.

I’m coming up on two years of running this blog and instagram account. As a result, I’ve made some great friends online who I’ve never actually met. They often start fun campaigns in which the rest of the drinkstagram community can participate. This week, I want to talk about the #sendgoodwill campaign. Sasha @sashadallasgirl and Charlie @elementshrub came up with the idea to buy some vintage glassware from a thrift store, then send that glass around the country for other folks to use. They even encouraged others to start a rotation using whatever glasses they could find.

I love this idea, as I’ve been a huge proponent of thriftstore glassware from the get go. I’d estimate 95% of my glasses were purchased at Goodwills, Salvations Armies, and the like. So I was super excited when Beth and Chris of @thecocktailartist hit me and up and told me they had a glass to send me (it’s pretty sweet. Definitely feeling the gold band design). I was more than happy to oblige.

Fall has officially started (desptite the fact it’s been in the mid 80s the last few days in Boston), and there is no season I love more in New England. So when I thought about coming up with a drink for this awesome glass, I wanted to capture some of those flavors. Also, low ABV cocktails are becoming more of a thing, so I decided to try my hand at one .

Last weekend after a grocery store run, Mrs. Muddle came home with some apple cider. I absolutely love the stuff, it’s a quintessential fall treat for me. The problem I have is that flavor never translates well to cocktails. I decided to tackle this in a few ways. One, using cider in a low ABV drink would give it more room to breath. Two, making a cider syrup helps concentrate those flavors even more. Finally, I surrounded it with other complimentary autumn flavors. Lots of hearty spices in from Rock and Rye and Besamim, and some earthy tartness from a cranberry liqueur (made right here in Boston).

Down to the Studs starts with a spiced apple aroma. Nice to see the cider already showing itself. The spices from the Rock and Rye and Besamim are both on the warm side of the spectrum, and play nicely together. The sip really let’s those spices shine – cloves, cinnamon, allpice, maybe even some nutmeg – basically fall in a glass. The cranberry liqueur’s main contribution is some tartness to cut through all the sweet and spice. Keeps it crisp like an autumn afternoon. There is just enough alcoholic bite from the Rock and Rye, but it’s still very sippable. Apple bitters bring out more orchardy goodness from the cider syrup. The finish is smooth and warm, and keeps you coming back for more. Good thing it’s low ABV.

If you didn’t figure it out from the pictures, we’re in the middle of a big kitchen and bathroom reno here at Muddle HQ. That’s where the name for this one comes from. It’s pretty hectic, and the contents of my bar are split between two floors. But that won’t stop me from mixing up some drinks. If anything I could probably use them even more amidst all this chaos.

I’m so excited to get the chance participate in this awesome event. I honestly think it’s almost criminal to pay full price for glassware, as there are so many finds in thrift stores, flea markets, vintage shops, etc. Anything to promote that idea is a winner in my book. Thanks again to Beth and Chris for getting me in the loop. These puppies are headed to the midwest next, into the capable hands of Ben and Nikki who run the fantastic blog The Farmer’s Spoon (or check them out on IG @thefarmersspoon). Can’t wait to see how they fill up these glasses.